Invent climate tolerant crop varieties to meet future food demand: Shahab Uddin

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin on Tuesday stressed inventing new crop varieties tolerant to changing climates and developing new agriculture technologies, aiming to meet the country's future food and nutritional demand.

"At the same time, we must be aware of the use of chemicals and pesticides, which are harmful to public health and the environment, during agricultural production and marketing. We have to work for the development of the overall environment by protecting the country's biodiversity," he said.

The environment minister was addressing the 17th National Conference and Seminar of the Bangladesh Agricultural Economists Association held at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) in Dhaka.

Shahab Uddin said the present government has taken effective mitigation and adaptation initiatives to address climate change impacts.

He said Bangladesh has determined the target of reducing carbon emission by 21.85 per cent in the updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) where the agriculture sector has been included.

A target has been set to cut carbon and methane gas emissions in the agriculture sector through the use of the alternate wetting and drying procedure in agriculture and improved fertiliser and land management, the minister said.

He said that agricultural economists must play an important role in achieving the target of the agriculture sector.

Agriculture Minister Md Abdur Razzaque, Secretary General of Agricultural Economist Association Prof Mohammad Mizanul Haque Kajal, former Senior Secretary Mohammad Mesbahul Islam, Professor Mihir Kumar Roy and Prof Md Jahangir Alam also spoke at the meeting with former Senior Secretary of Prime Minister's Office and Bangladesh Agricultural Economist Association President Sajjadul Hassan in the chair.